Pharaoh Ant – Riya

November 17, 2023

Sample information
Picture
Photos by: Riya D.
Location
Collection date 11/13/2023
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group Walton High School
Observations

The ant is an orange brown color and about 2 mm long. It has 3 distinct segments as well as a head with 2 large compound eyes. It was found near a wooden bench in some dry dirt buried under leaf litter. It was very squirmy and wanted to leave the test vial.
Putative identification Arthropoda

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen) blood and tissue kit
DNA extraction location Whole arthropod
Single or Duplex PCR
Gel electrophoresis system MiniPCR
Buffer TAE
DNA stain
Gel images
Protocol notes
  • the entire arthropod was placed in the vial due to its small size and lack of hard shell covering
  • PCR and gel electrophoresis was somewhat successful. There are some visible bands, but the information is unclear. We were unable to send our samples in.

Results
Wolbachia presence No
Confidence level Medium
Explanation of confidence level

Most of the colony I found the ant from was probably worker ants, so their development stages were still very low. In this case, Wolbachia will probably die in the organism before it can be passed on
Wolbachia 16S sequence
Arthropod COI sequence
Summary The Arthropoda was found to be negative for Wolbachia.
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